FIGURE 5.
TSPO deletion has no effect on adrenal steroid hormone production. A, plasma aldosterone base-line levels were not significantly different between Tspofl/fl and Tspo−/− mice (n = 7/group). B, plasma corticosterone base-line levels were not significantly different between Tspofl/fl and Tspo−/− mice (n = 24–30/group). C, increase in plasma corticosterone in response to ACTH stimulation was similar between Tspofl/fl and Tspo−/− mice (n = 10–14/group). D, representative Western blot showing no compensatory increase in STAR and TSPO protein expression after ACTH stimulation in both Tspofl/fl and Tspo−/− mice. Quantification of STAR (E) and TSPO (F) protein levels also showed no significant increase at 1 h after ACTH stimulation (n = 3). A.U., arbitrary units. Data are represented as mean ± S.E.